Cap feed for toy pistol



- p -16,1958 J. D. KILGORE 2,851,808

' CAP FEED FOR TOY PISTOL Filed May 13, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORfouyufi/ fyow,

\ BY M ATTORNEY Sept. 16, 1958 J. D. KILGORE CAP FEED FOR TOY PISTOL 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 13, 1954 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Sept. 16,1958 J. D.KILGORE 8 CAP FEED FOR TOY PISTOL 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 13, 1954ATTORNEY United States Patent CAP FEED FOR TOY PISTOL Joseph D. Kilgore,Athens, Ohio Application May 13, 1954, Serial No. 429,621

1 Claim. (Cl. 42-57) The invention relates to toy pistols, and moreparticularly to a toy pistol of the type in which a roll of caps instrip form is mounted within the hollow body portion of the pistol andthe strip is fed by reciprocating pawl action over a guide portionleading to an anvil for engagement by suitable hammer adapted to firesuccessive caps, the movement of the strip being accurately controlledby means of trigger mechanism which is adapted to fire either a singleshot or to fire a series of shots.

The present invention is in the nature of an improvement on thedevicedisclosed in my Patent No. 2,643,476, dated June 30, 1953.

The feeding of cap strips has never been entirely satisfactory becauseof the weakness of the paper on which the caps are mounted.

An important object of my invention is accordingly to so improve the capfeeding mechanism that even though the cap strip should break at theanvil, following the hammer blow and the subsequent explosion, the stripwill still be fed without interruption to the anvil.

In accordance with my invention an automatic variably yielding holder isprovided to retain the cap in position after a firing operation while areciprocating cap feeding finger or pawl recedes to engage the next capto the strip. 1

Another object is to improve the control mechanism for the firing of thecaps.

A further object is to provide a readily accessible cap roll.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdetailed description and the accompanying drawings in which specificembodiments of the invention are set forth by way of illustration ratherthan by way of limitation.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a cap pistol embodying my invention withthe rear portion being shown broken away to disclose the innermechanism, the parts being shown in non-firing position;

1 Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section with the muzzle portion and aportion of the pistol grip broken away and showing the parts innon-firing position;

' Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation with parts broken away showing a modificationof the invention, the trigger and other parts being in firing position;

Fig. 6 is a similar view but with additional parts broken away, andshowing the mechanism in non-firing position; and

Fig. 7 is a detail of the flat spring member of the cap feeding andholding mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 denotes the hollowframe or body of a cap pistol having a muzzle 11 and a handle gripportion 12, with a magazine portion 13 intermediate the muzzle and handgrip portions. I

The body is preferably divided longitudinally, as is "ice wellknown inthe art, and parts united so that the body may be readily separated todisclose the hollow interior and permit access to the various elementshoused therein, as more fully set forth in my prior Patent No.2,643,476.

In accordance with the present disclosure the pistol body is providedwith a side portion 14 pivoted at 15 near the end of the magazineadjacent the muzzle, such pivoted portion being adapted to be moved to adownward position as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 to permit readyaccess to a cap roll 16 mounted on a shaft 17. The side portion 14 isadapted to be swung upwardly about the pivot 15 to fully enclose the caproll, and may be held in assembled position by any suitable catch ifdesired, or the fit between the pivoted portion and the fixed portion ofthe body may be sufiiciently tight so that the pivoted portion may beheld closed by friction alone.

The hollow frame, housing or body 10 of the pistol houses the operatingmechanism thereof, which may be generally referred to as the cap feedingand holding mechanism, generally designated by the reference letter A,trigger operated control mechanism B, and firing, detonating or hammermechanism C, all of which mechanisms are operatively connected with oneanother through a main gear formed in a drum within which is housed asuitable coil spring. On release of the control mechanism B the capfeeding and holding mechanism A and the detonating or hammer mechanism Care adapted to be actuated in timed relation to one another, the capfeeding mechanism serving to feed successive caps to an anvil forsubsequent engagement by the hammer mechanism during the period when thehammer is retracted, such cap feeding mechanism having associatedtherewith suitable automatically variable holding means for firmlyretaining the cap strip in position while the feeding portion or pawl ofsaid feeding mechanism moves downwardly to engage another cap butreleasing the pressure on the cap strip when the same is engaged by thecap feeding pawl to permit feeding movement by said pawl.

The cap feeding and holding mechanism A, the control mechanism B and thefiring or detonating mechanism C, to be more fully describedhereinafter, are all energized by means of a spring drum 20 mounted forrotation upon a shaft 21 journaled in the side walls of the body of thepistol. The drum 20 houses a main spring 22 of the coil type, one end ofwhich may be secured to the shaft 21 and the other to the innerperiphery of the drum 20. The main spring 22 is adapted to be wound bymeans of a key or the like which may be applied to the squared end 23 ofshaft 21, a pawl and ratchet mechanism 24 and 25, and a leaf spring 26being provided to prevent reverse rotation of the shaft. If desired thekey may be attached to the shaft as is shown in my Patent No. 2,643,476.

As shown the spring drum 20 is provided with peripheral teeth forming agear 27 coacting with other parts of the operating mechanism includingthe cap feeding and holding mechanism A and trigger operated controlmechanism B. One face of the spring drum is shown as provided with aseries of spaced hammer trip lugs or teeth 28 which are intended toactuate the detonating or hammer mechanism C at suitable intervals.

As shown the gear 27 carried by the'spring drum 20 meshes with a smallergear 30, to one face of which is secured a heart wheel or cam member 31which rotates with the gear. The gear 30 and cam member 31 are adaptedto actuate the novel cap feeding and holding elements of the mechanism Ain timed relation to each other.

The cap roll 16 comprises a series of spaced caps 12 mounted on orforming parts of cap strip 33 which are adapted to be fed from the rolland pass between thecap feeding and holding mechanism A and the lower orguide 3 portion 35 of anvil member 36, such anvil andguide portion beingrigidly secured to the side of the hollow frame of the pistol. Theelongated guide member 35 together with the holder portion of the capfeeding and holding mechanism A serve to retain the cap strip at alltimes during the feeding and firing stages of the operation of thepistol. The cap strip 33 is adapted to be intermittently moved upwardlyso that successive caps 32 will be placed upon the anvil 36 andsubsequently detonated by the firing or detonating mechanism C. Afterpassing the anvil the exploded caps pass out through a slot 40 at thetop of the frame member.

Detonation of the cap is accomplished by means of firing mechanism Ccomprising a hammer contact member 41 at the end of a lever 42,which'lever is pivoted intermediate its ends at 43 and is provided witha project-- ing finger or hammer trip lug 44 at the opposite end of thehammer member 41, which finger is actuated on rotation of the springdrum to retract the hammer by means of the lugs or projections 28carried by the drum 20, in timed relation to the operation of the capfeeding and holding mechanism A to be described hereinafter. A suitablespring 45 presses against the hammer and urges it against each advancingcap after the hammer has been retracted and then released by thesuccessive lugs 28.

The cap feeding mechanism A will now be described in greater detail forthe purpose of illustration. Such mechanism, in accordance with myinvention, includes a pivoted and reciprocating spring-pressed pawlmember which serves to intermittently advance the caps to the anvil, anda holding member which is adapted to yieldingly but firmly hold the rollof caps against the tail or guide portion 35 of the anvil while thefeeding pawl is being moved downwardly to engage another cap on the capstrip, and releasing the pressure applied thereto on upward movement ofthe feeding pawl the holding member being generally designated by thereference numeral 100 and the pawl member being designated by thereference numeral 101. The holding member 100 and the pawl member 101are adapted to be automatically actuated in timed relation to each otherthrough mechanism motivated by the cam member 31 and drive gear wheel30,'which in turn are actuated by the main gear 27 carried by the springdrum 20, whereby the operation of the capfeeding mechanism is also intimed relation to the operation of the firing hammer. The cam member 31and the gear wheel 30 are secured to a transverse shaft 30a in-thehousing 10.

As shown the holding member 100 comprises an elongated plate-like member102 pivoted at 103 and adapted to be swung back and forth in thedirection of the arrows by the combined action of the heart wheel or cammember 31 whose enlarged portion 104 is adapted to engage one edge 105of the plate 102 to swing such plate 102 toward the guide portion of theanvil while a flat spring 106 carried by the plate-like member 102serves to swing the member in the opposite direction when at 113, toreceive a crank pin 114 carried by the gear 30, said carrier member 111also including a guide bar 120 which is slidable through a stationaryholder member or guide block 115 secured to one wall of the pistol body.The tip of the feed pawl 101 is constantly urged against the cap strip33 by means of a spring 116 mounted on the pawl hinge 117 and havingarms 118 and 119 engaging the pawl 101 and arm 110 of the carrier memher111, respectively.

The trigger actuated control mechanism B is'adapted to release thespring drum 20, permitting it to actuateithe cap feeding and holdingmechanism A and the detonating or hammer mechanism C in suitably timedrelation to one another. As shown such control mechanism includes a flywheel or governor 50 mounted on a shaft 51, which fly wheel is connectedto the main gear 27 on the spring drum 20 through suitable intermediategearing including a small gear 53 carried on shaft 51 and meshing with alarge gear 54 on shaft 55 which in turn carries a small gear 56 meshingwith another small gear 57 on shaft 58, the gear 57 being in mesh withthe main gear 27 on the spring drum'20.

The fly wheel 50 is normally held against movement by frictionalengagement of a brake block 60 which may be composed of any suitablebraking material, as for example a rubber composition, said brake blockbeing carried by a lever 61 pivoted at 62. The brake'block 60 is urgedagainst the fly wheel or governor by means of a spring 63 secured at oneend to an end 64 of lever 61 remote from the pivot 62, the other end ofthe spring 63 being secured to a pin 65 carried by the body of thepistol. The brake block 60 is adapted to be released by means of asuitable trigger pivoted at 71 and projecting through a slot 72 in thebody ofthe pistol. The pivot is in the form of a .bell crank having anarm 73 provided with a roller 74 which rides in a groove 75 in the end76 of the lever 61 extending beyond the pivot 62 in the directionopposite the end 64 to which the spring 63 is attached. 0

The operation of the device will be largely apparent from the foregoingdescription but will be briefly summarized as follows:

To fire the pistol the trigger 70 is pulled, thus releasing the brakeblock 60 from contact with the surface of the fly wheel or governor 50,thereby permitting the main spring 22 to rotate the spring drum 20 andmain gear 27, thereby actuating the hammer mechanism C and cap feedingand holdingmechanism A in suitable timed relation. As will be apparentthe hammer or detonating mechanism is intermittently actuated by contactof successive lugs 28 with the trip lug 44 which first retracts thehammer contact member 41 from the anvil and then releases the same topermit it to be driven by the spring 45 against a cap 22 upon the anvil36.

During the time the hammer mechanism C is retracted the cap feeding andholding mechanism A comes into play. The pivoted and reciprocating pawlmember 101- in its upward movement effected by the eccentric pin 114 ongear 30 serves to advance the cap strip a distance between successivecaps '32 to place a cap on the anvil, after which the pawl member ismoved downwardly but still in contact with the cap strip, being urgedthereagainst by the spring 116 on the pivot shaft of the pawl. Duringthis reverse or downward movement of the pawl member 101 the cap stripwill be prevented from moving downwardly with the pawl by relativelyfirm engagement of the spring portion 106 of the holding member 100, thepivoted plate member 102 of the holder being at this time swung towardthe cap strip on the stationary guide member 35 by means of the cam 31whose enlarged portion is now in engagement with the edge 105 of thepivoted holder plate. On the other hand, during the time the pawl member101 is moving upwardly to advance therow of caps the flat spring 106only lightly engages the row of caps, due to the fact that the plateportion of the holder has been swung away from the row of caps on thestationary guide 35 byaction of the spring 106, this being made possibleby reason of the fact that a small portion of the cam 31 is now inengagement with the edge of the holder plate.

It will be understood that the operation of the firing mechanism and ofthe cap feeding mechanism is readily controlled by the trigger '70 sothat a single cap or a series of caps may be detonated, as desired.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show a modification of the device in Y which thecontrol mechanism B' and the detonating or ponding cap feeding andholding mechanism A of the previously described embodiment, the generaloperation, however, being substantially the same with slightmodification in the form of the operating cam and associated parts. Theholding spring 106' corresponding in function to the spring 106 of themodification previously described is shown in detail in Fig. 7.

The invention has been described in detail for the purpose ofillustration but it will be obvious that numerous modifications andvariations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

I claim:

In a cap pistol, the combination of a housing adapted to receive a stripof caps, a stationary anvil provided in the top portion of said housing,a substantially straight cap strip guide extending upwardly in saidhousing to said anvil, a transverse shaft provided in the housing at oneside of said guide, a drive gear and a cam secured to said shaft, acrank pin provided on said drive gear, a stationary guide block providedin the housing above said shaft, a vertical guide bar slidable in saidblock, a carrier rigid with the lower end of said guide bar and providedwith a horizontal slot having said crank pin operatively disposedtherein whereby the carrier is vertically reciprocated during rotationof said drive gear, a cap strip feeding pawl pivoted to said carrier andextending upwardly and diagonally toward said cap strip guide, a springconnected to said carrier and to said feeding pawl for urging the latteragainst a cap strip on said cap strip guide, a cap strip holder memberpivoted in said housing between said guide and said shaft and extendingupwardly from its pivot point, said cam operatively engaging said holdermember and urging the same against a cap strip on said strip guideduringdownward movement of said carrier, and a leaf spring secured at one endthereof the said holder member and extending upwardly therefrom, theupper end of said leaf spring bearing against a cap strip on said guideand urging said holder member against said cam during upward movement ofsaid carrier.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS653,697 Rightmyer July 17, 1900 1,794,411 Lalumiere Mar. 3, 19311,895,407 Brubaker Jan. 24, 1933 1,962,387 Brubaker June 12, 19342,481,301 Eulenfeld Sept. 6, 1949 2,569,913 Anderson Oct. 2, 19512,643,476 Kilgore June 30, 1953 2,699,008 Tyler Jan. 11, 1955

